Multiple power gearing



March 16 1926.

VC. l... CUI-VER MULTIPLEEOWER GEARING Filed Mar'ch 9, 1925v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1 6 1926.-

- c. L. CULVER'A MULTIPLE fowER GEARING F'filed'MPGh 9, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 I INVENTOR Charles L. Culver TToRNEYs Patented Mar. 15, 1925.

intrisa oHARLEs L. cULvEraoF OLLALLA, WASHINGTON.

K' *.MULTIrrn kPowma GEARING.

Application mea March 9,.;1925. 'serial no. 14,106.k

To all who/mt muy concern: i Be it. known that I, GrrAnLEs L. GULVER, aiicitizen of the United States of America, and resident of theftown of Ollalla, in Kitsap County, State'of ldlasliingtoii, have invented .certain new and useful Imp-rovements in Multiple Power Gearings, of which the following is a specification. .My invention relates to means whereby 10 power .may be applied for variable rotation,

and'is particularly'applicable for such puroses as turning yof hoisting drums and blocks, although it willfbe evident that it may beput to numerous other uses where a variable rate of rotation and .power is desired. Y The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective means for multiplying the power ratiok and for varying the saine, particularly in such apparatus as hoist blocks and drums, and such apparatus asrequire th-e use of a large power ratio. i The invention vconsists chiefly in the use for thedrive vmechanism of a. -druin b lock orother rotative member, of .two connected trains of sun-ajid-planet gears, and vmeans Vfor connecting the -primary drivingmember of-thevdevice with dilferentmembers of the f r Ygear trains.

` Thev Vaccompanying drawings illustrate my inventiony asy applied to ahoist drum. Figur-e l is a longitudinal section thro-ugh the axial `center ofthe device. ,i

Figure `2 is a view of the planetary gear trains asy seen from one side face.

l'Ihe particular mechanismV illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described has been chosen as typical of the purposes and uses for which my invention is adapted and which Yitis based` It is, however, not to be understood as being the only use for which it is adapted. This mechanism comprises the following constructions. y

4 A drum 2, which represents the final driven member, is mounted upon a shaft or.

as well illustrating the principles upon.

through their orbital path.

include Vplanet gear-s 28 and 30 for .the

respective trains andsun gears 24 and 3l.

I have shown three planet gears in each train, although in ,theory other numbers maybe used. i

I employ a .common planet carrier for both gear trains, this,l consisting of two disks 4 and 40v fixed together by studs or lugs 42 and bolts 43, and also connected byV the journal pins v41 upon which the planet .gears are mountedv '.Like planet gears of both trains are fixed together, Vas by bolts or pins 44, so that they must turn together. 4 The orbit gears 22 and 3 areof different diameters, as are also the planet gears 23, and 30 and the sun gears 24 and 3l. As a result, the rate of turning of the drum is different when the drive is through. one gear train than ywhen theydrive is through the other.A l

'Each sun gearV 24 and 3l hasa sleeve 25 and '32, respectively., and the Vplanet rcarrie-r has a ysleeve 45, allj three sleeves having terminal sections adjacent and of equal diameters and enclosed by asleeve 5, which sleeve has a, longitudinally extending slot or slotsV 50 in which isrnounted to slide a, block 6, havingr a locking pin sli'dable therein radially of the sleeve, and controlled by a head 6l at the outer end thereof. These .locking pins yprefembly are spring` held in locking position.V By shifting these pins the driving shaft 7, which is fixed to lsleeve 5, may be connected to either sun gear or the planet carrier. `The shaft 7 may be turned by hand, as by meansof a lcrank or through any suitableand available power drive. 1

If lthe driving shaft 7 is ,connected with the planet carrier and turned in a clockwise or right handed direction as the de-v vic-e is seen in Figure 2, the planet gears 23 yand 30 will becarried in a like direction As the orbit gear 3 is fixed, the'planet gears will be kturned in a left handed direction about same direction and rate. As the gear ratio between planet gear 23 and orbit gear 22 is v greater than the gear ratio between planet gear 5i() and orbit gear 3, it will require more turns ot the planet gear to complete the circuit of the orbit gear 22 than tor the like gears 30 and 3 of the other train. ln consequence the orbit gear QQ and the drum connected therewith will be right handedly turned an amount corresponding with the difference in speed ratio oi the two gear trains. This will produce a great reduction of speed and an increa in power, the direction of turning of the drinn 2 being the same as that of the shaft.

It the sun gear 3l. be connected to turn with the shaft 7. rifrht handed turninw ot the sun gear 31 will cause left handed turning ot `the planet gears 30 together with a right handed swing through their orbit, as the orbit gear is fixed. This orbital 1novenient of: the planet gears will be at a much slower rate than in `the previously assumed condition. The action between the planet gear 23 and orbit gear 22 is the same as before explained. The resultis a right handed turning oi the orbit gear 22 at a rate compared with that of the orbital movement of the planet gears determined by the speed ratios oi the two sets ot' gea-rs.

It' the sun gear be connected with the driving shaft, the action is similar to that just above described, except that the differ ence in speed ratios between the two sets ot gears will contribute a component tending to slightly increase the turning of the drum, whereas the same component in the preceding condition acted to decrease the speed of the drinn.

The above device forms a ernnpact mechanism of a type which is cheap to make and by reason oil the great speed reduction produced thereby, is excellently adapted for any worlcwhere great power is desired. It secures three speeds but without any reversal of direction except by reversing the `driving shaftt.` It is therefore well adapted for power hoists.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A power drive comprising two planetary gear trains having diilerent speed rt tios, a common planet carrier tor both trains, one orbit gear being fixed and the other movable, a concentric rotative driving member and means for securing said driving member to either sun gear.

2. A power drive comprising two planetary gear trains having different speed ratios, a common planet carrier tor both trains, one orbit gear being fixed and the other movable, a concentric rotative driving `member and means for securing said driving member to either sun gear or to the planet carrier.

53. In a hoist, a drum, an orbit gear fixed to turn with the drum, a second orbit gear held against turning, two sets oil sun and planet gears operating each with its respective orbit gear, a common planet carrier for both sets of planet gears, and means for turning either sun gear.

1l. In a hoist, a drum, two ennemi-planet gear trains of different gear ratios, one orbit gear being fixed to turn with the drum and the other held stationary, a planet car ricr common to each train, the two sun gears and the planet carrier having cach a sleeve, a driver, which sleeves and driver are concentrically nested, and means for sccnring the driver to any one ot said sleeves.

5. In a hoist, a drinn, two sun-and-planet gear traina oi different gear ratios, one orbit gear being ixed to turn with the drum and the other held stationary, a planet carrier common to each train, and means 'for applying power to turn the drum through either sun gear or the planet carrier at will.

G. In a hoist, a, drum, a shaftupon which the drinn may freely turn, two sanandplanet gear trains, the orbit gear ot one train being connected. to turn with the drum, a trame to which the orbit gear of the other train is iixed, a planetcarrier common to both trains, the sun gears oi' both trains` and the planet carrier having concentric sleeves having exposed ends, a driving sleeve secured to the shaft and extending over the sleeves carried by the gear-train members, and a dogadapted to lock the driving sleeve to either of the other sleeves. y

Signed at Seattle, King County, Tashington, this 2nd day of March, 1925.

CHARLES L. CULVER. 

